I imagine it’s the season change, but I am feeling a little extra sleepy these days. Sleep is a subject that I find endlessly fascinating. From why we need it to how much we each get to why some of us require less than others—it is both completely mysterious and completely common. It’s something we all do, yet know so little about.
So here’s your pop quiz! (Please answer in the comments section and I will tally results.)
1. How much do you sleep a night?
2. What time do you go to bed / wake up?
3. Do you have trouble sleeping?
In my recent GOOD post about sleep, I also mentioned the Ayurvedic day-cycle theory. Here’s a quick explanation (and I promise to go further into Ayurveda later this week): This ancient Indian medical system believes that all things are dominated by three doshas (or energies that are themselves made up of the five elements): Pitta, Vata and Kapha. Still with me?
Anyway, the day itself is also broken into these energy cycles and some cycles lend themselves to rest and others to activity. This random site offers a pretty good breakdown. Ayurveda strongly encourages early to bed and early to rise, and I have to say that the more that I experiment the more I find that to be true. For instance, waking up at 5:30am is easier than 7:30am. Weird.
OK, I’m excited to hear your answers so that we can come up with some fun, non-controlled, non-scientific deductions! Get to it…
